Two weeks after his Emmy nomination for leading the Marvel series Wonder Man, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is speaking out about the Wonder Man cancellation. Disney has decided the comedy will not return for a second season. Abdul-Mateen says he remains unclear on the rationale, and he believes there is a broader pattern affecting Black-led projects at Marvel.
“When you look at the history of those projects and when you put them all together, there’s no way around it,” he said. “It does not look good. It does not look like good business. And it looks like it’s certainly not favorable to its Black creatives.”
Abdul-Mateen said Wonder Man might have benefited from more time to find its audience. He suggested Black viewers often discover niche series later, adding the show needed “a little bit more time to cook.”
In the series, Abdul-Mateen’s character, Simon, is a struggling actor with a secret. He possesses genuine superpowers, and exposure would jeopardize not only his career but also his freedom.
The actor’s route to Hollywood was unconventional. The youngest of six, he grew up in New Orleans and Oakland, studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a city planner before a layoff led him to the Yale School of Drama.
He landed his first major role in 2015, earned a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut, and later won an Emmy for HBO’s Watchmen.
While the Wonder Man cancellation stings, Abdul-Mateen said he remains grateful for the experience. He called the project “special,” and said he felt fortunate to have been part of it.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Emmy Awards, Abdul-Mateen said he hopes to meet Steve Carell. He grew up watching The Office and has seen every episode many times. He added he would not hesitate to ask for a photo.
Wonder Man cancellation and Abdul-Mateen’s reflections
Interview highlights
On his Wonder Man character, Simon, a struggling actor
Abdul-Mateen described Simon as an over-thinker who searches for pitfalls, while he himself looks for opportunities. He said he prepares rigorously, then lets the work guide him rather than dictate his choices.
He recalled early days padding his resume while taking small jobs in the Bay Area, exaggerating skills like accents or percussion to get a foot in the door. “That’s what you got to do,” he said. “You got to stack the cards in your favor.”
On stumbling into acting at Berkeley
A track teammate dared him to take an acting class after he performed an impersonation at practice that left teammates laughing. He auditioned for a theater course, did the work even if he was not always punctual, and began to take the craft seriously as he realized he had a knack for it.
An instructor later encouraged him to continue, which led him deeper into performance and helped him address a lifelong stutter.
On how acting helped his stutter
He said he does not stutter with a script because rehearsal creates muscle memory. Stuttering can be frustrating, especially outside family circles, sometimes rendering him silent for several seconds or sounding like “a car engine trying to start” when forcing words.
On attending 13 schools as a child
With six children, his family prioritized convenience and better educational fits. He said the love at home shielded him from instability.
Moving frequently made him observant and deliberate when entering new environments. By high school, he had found his confidence and individuality.
On growing up in an interfaith home
His mother is Christian and his father converted to Islam. He said the family prayed with his father, sometimes fasted for Ramadan, and also attended church and sang in the choir.
That upbringing gave him reverence and practical ways to seek God’s guidance.
On his sense of self
He credits a solid upbringing and frequent school changes with helping him develop a strong identity. Liking who he is gives him confidence to pursue opportunities that excite him and to choose work on his own terms.
That confidence around identity and career echoes themes explored by filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton in Destin Daniel Cretton on movies, identity, and Spider-Man.